Partnered Pony Blog

Klibbers

Klibbers are the traditional pack saddles of the Shetland Isles and Shetland ponies. In the September 2017 issue of Fell Pony News from Willowtrail Farm, adapting klibbers to larger ponies was described. Highlights:

As anyone who has tried to do real work with ponies knows, sizing tack is often the first challenge, followed closely by keeping things economical. Pony teamsters learn to be resourceful, and of course that resourcefulness has been going on for centuries. One example of that resourcefulness is the klibber.

Traditional klibbers are very simple in construction, assembled from driftwood found on the shore since the isles are nearly treeless.

It occurred to my friend Eddie McDonough that the klibber design could be easily scaled to fit his Fell Pony to provide an economical pack saddle. The klibber design could also be adapted to use other found materials, in keeping with the resourceful Shetland tradition.